Chocolate giant's sweet $400M investment in supply chain

Mondelēz International, The largest chocolate company in the world has recently announced their intention to plough over $400 million over the next 10 years into an initiative that will help their suppliers to not only enhance productivity but also significantly improve their sustainability efforts.

Touted as 'Cocoa Life' the initiative is based on the successful Cocoa Partnership programmes that Cadbury (one of their subsidiaries) launched into Ghana, India and the Dominican Republic. Programs which have already assisted thousands of farmers in these countries to boost their own productivity, and therefore profitability, whilst congruently reducing the impact of their work on the environment.

Having committed $70 million worth of investment into its sustainable supply chain programs up until 2018 Cadbury has noted impressive success in Ghana where cocoa yields for farmers taking part in the program are believed to have increased by 20%.

In light of this Mondelēz International has confirmed it will invest around $400 million in similar programs up until the year 2022, including over $100 million which has been specifically dedicated to support over 75,000 farmers in Côte d'Ivoire - the largest cocoa producing country in the world.

In doing this Mondelēz International hope to drastically improve the living and working conditions of 200,000 cocoa farmers around the world. In addition they also aim to accelerate the overall adoption of sustainability best practices that should help to reduce biodiversity loss and soil erosion whilst also enhancing water efficiency and yields.

'I'm proud of Mondelēz International's $400m investment in Cocoa Life – a distinctive, holistic approach to cocoa sustainability that will create a cycle of growth from bean to bar' said Tim Cofer, executive vice president and president for Mondelēz Europe.

'Our mission is to create thriving cocoa communities and help secure the future of the cocoa industry'.

Cofer confirmed the program would target the Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana, India and Dominican Republic initially. It would also work in partnership with a number of different NGOs, including the United Nations Development Program, the WWF and the Anti-Slavery International to foster 'a robust set of principles for success and ways to measure progress'.

He also added that as well as committing to education and financing-based efforts to promote more environmentally sustainable farming practices, the initiative would also seek to eradicate child labour and promote community development.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Green Biz